Compassion is the practice of meeting suffering — our own and others' — with care rather than avoidance. It is the recognition that all beings experience pain, and the wish to ease it.
Why humans practice this
Compassion softens the heart, reduces reactivity, and strengthens our sense of connection. Across cultures, it is practiced because it transforms isolation into belonging.
Different traditions express this universal human value — as perspectives, not truth claims.
Buddhism
Metta (loving-kindness) meditation
Extend well-wishes from self to all beings
Christianity
Love thy neighbor
Reflect on agape — selfless love for all
Islam
Rahma (mercy)
Reflect on divine mercy and extend it to others
Judaism
Chesed (loving-kindness)
Acts of loving-kindness in daily life
Hinduism
Ahimsa (non-harm)
Cultivate non-violence in thought, word, and deed
Stoicism
Universal brotherhood
Recognize all humans as kin under shared reason
Secular Psychology
Compassion training
Evidence-based compassion cultivation exercises
How does Compassion relate to your life right now? What practice might you explore?